Many different types and styles of writing instruments are used by people today. Many people will receive mail or letters and will open the mail or letters using a variety of methods including tearing, or cutting open a letter using a stiletto, knife, scissors or a letter opener. This requires the use of two tools i.e. the writing instrument and the opener. Several inventions have been patented or sold that combine the two instruments into one.
U.S. Pat. No. 844,770 issued to C. G. Bauer discloses an envelope-opener where the letter opener can be connected onto a writing instrument. A letter is placed within a guide to position the envelope for opening. As the envelope is slid into the guide, the folded portion of the letter is cut open with an “L” shaped blade. While this design can be carried inside a pocket without damage to the pocket, the invention is not designed to be clipped onto a pocket. In addition, the blade remains exposed, and there is no link from the writing tip extending mechanism to the blade protector.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,169 issued to Cheldin discloses a combination letter opener and writing instrument. The letter opener is a similar configuration to other concealed blade letter openers that are available. This patent is disclosed as both an opener that can be attached to an existing pen, and as an opener that in integrated into the writing instrument housing. In some disclosures of this invention, the point of the pen has a retractable point. While this invention provides both a writing instrument and a letter opener, the invention fails to provide a clip for maintaining the invention on a pocket. The blade has no protection mechanism that shields the blade, and there is no link from the writing tip extending mechanism to the blade protector.
WEB site www.creativeconceptsgolf.com discloses a Swiss pen that includes a writing instrument with multi-functional tools such as scissors, knife, tweezers and flashlight. While these tools can be used to open a letter, they do not provide a blade protection mechanism, and once the blade is opened, the blade is exposed without protection.
WEB site www.glbproducts.com and other site disclose a pen where the back cap of the pen covers a stiletto blade for opening a letter. This pen provides a writing instrument with a letter-opening tool, and in some cases, the product may include a pocket clip, but the blade is fully exposed when the rear cap is removed, and the blade is not integrated into the pocket clip. In addition, there is no link from the writing tip extending mechanism to the blade protector.
What is needed is a writing instrument with a pocket clip where a letter opener is integrated into the pocket clip. The ideal invention would not damage a pocket, by either being located on the opposite side of the pocket clip or being protected when the writing point is retracted, and the blade would be exposed when the writing point is extended.